Netflix Will Stream ‘The Interview’ Starting on Saturday

If you haven’t watched Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s ‘The Interview’ yet, either because you’re too cheap to rent it or you were worried North Korean hackers would catch you renting it and share your private emails slagging your boss with the world you are in luck. (Speaking of which: I’m sorry Mike! When I called you “a giant goober,” I meant that in an affectionate way, like Goobers candy! Which everyone loves!) [Ed. note: Hey!] As part of their quarterly letter to shareholders, Netflix announced that they will “exclusively” offer the comedy to its U.S. and Canadian customers starting this Saturday, January 24. Sorry Netflix Netherlands! You’re out of luck for now.

According to CNN, Rogen and Goldberg’s controversial film about a pair of buddies (Rogen and James Franco) who head to North Korea to interview notorious dictator Kim Jong-un (and possibly to assassinate him under orders from the CIA) has made $46 million to date in online rentals and theatrical ticket sales, putting it near its reported $44 million budget (at least before marketing costs). Money from Netflix plus eventual DVD and Blu-ray sales should push the movie into profitability, but I have to believe that if ‘The Interview’ had opened in 3,000 theaters as was originally planned, it would have earned a lot more than that by now. And it certainly wouldn’t be premiering on Netflix already.

In the same letter, Netflix also announced their upcoming ‘Crouching Tiger’ sequel, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny’ will debut on select IMAX screens and around the world on Netflix (hooray for Netflix Netherlands!) on August 26. That’s assuming North Korea doesn’t object to the film between now and then and threaten Netflix into burying the movie in that landfill in New Mexico where they found all the old ‘E.T.’ Atari cartridges.